The Week: Yafai’s last dance, Heaney rises to the occasion, and the PFL wants to pair Ngannou with Wilder

By Declan Taylor

Wednesday, 15 November

BY MY RECKONING

I’m nonetheless not precisely certain how they pulled it off however on Wednesday night, one in every of the greatest press conferences in British boxing historical past came about in London at Wembley Arena. The Week has been concerned in some weird, surreal days masking this sport however this one, to announce December 23 in Riyadh, in all probability tops the lot.

Before it had even began, Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren met for the first time, in a room down one in every of the Arena’s many tunnels, whereas Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder ready in suites separated by solely the width of a tiny hall.

The heavyweight duo sat just some seats aside at the presser itself, which kicked off with an tackle from Turki Al-Alshikh, from a balcony overlooking the major stage, in what was his first public speech on these shores since taking management of boxing in the Kingdom.

Once they acquired going, the huge array of huge names all spoke. Drug cheat Jarrell Miller spoke longest and was dressed down by Joshua for it. As was host Dev Sahni, who requested AJ a easy query just for the heavyweight to insist on it being Hearn who speaks to him. December 23 goes to be wild.

Thursday, 16 November

UNDISPUTED

Exactly 24 hours after Wednesday’s enjoyable, Queensberry Promotions went once more with a press convention to formally announce the most vital battle they’ve ever staged: Tyson Fury in opposition to Oleksandr Usyk.

Just after 6pm at HERE at Outernet, on Tottenham Court Road, the two heavyweights have been current because it was confirmed that their undisputed conflict will happen on February 17. Given so many fighters attended on Wednesday, it was unusual to hear solely two boxers talking this time round, though Sylvester Stallone did pop up out of nowhere for some purpose. Fury did most of the speaking, sweeping via the full compendium of his favorite insults which ranged from sausage to bog-eyed, ugly man.

All issues thought of, this was a loopy double from Queensberry, who had to transfer their closing press convention for Saturday’s Magnificent Seven card to Tuesday so as to accommodate them each. Although Warren had described Hearn has his greatest PR man in latest weeks, particular point out should go to his precise one Matt Rich, who in some way pulled all of it collectively. He even had time to serve the press mini burgers and rooster pies.
A number of hours later, in Las Vegas, Shakur Stevenson UD’ed Edwin De Los Santos so exhausting that he had to apologise afterwards for what he described as a ‘bad’ efficiency.

Friday, 17 November

EAR TODAY, GONE TOMORROW

The Week caught up with rising British middleweight star Hamzah Sheeraz, though the undefeated puncher couldn’t fairly hear the dialog.

Sheeraz suffered injury to her ear throughout a sparring session in Los Angeles proper at the finish of his camp, which pressured the postponement of his scheduled December 2 conflict with Liam Williams. He stated the damage got here because of a slap on the ear and he didn’t even have time to have a bathe earlier than dashing to the hospital for a prognosis.

The worst bit was that after Sheeraz was instructed the unhealthy information, that he couldn’t prepare in any respect for 4 weeks and undoubtedly not battle earlier than the finish of the yr, the physician additionally instructed him he was not allowed to fly house to the UK for an additional 10 days.

By Friday, nonetheless, he was safely again in Blighty, nonetheless exhausting of listening to and unable to prepare totally however with his sights set on a rearranged February conflict with Williams. Come via that unscathed, he stated, and it will likely be straight right into a summer season barnburner with Denzel Bentley. “But let’s see how he gets on against Nathan Heaney first,” he stated.

Saturday, 18 November

HEANEY DOES IT

There was a lot to go at on a loopy Saturday evening of boxing in Britain as Frank Warren’s Magnificent Seven in Manchester present went head-to-head with Boxxer’s Wolves at the Door in, you guessed it, Wolverhampton.

But no doubt the story of the evening came about up north, in the very last battle of Warren’s gargantuan invoice, as Nathan Heaney claimed the British title through majority determination over Denzel Bentley. Firstly, an apology. In my preview for the present written in these pages, I recommended that Bentley wouldn’t solely win, however win nicely inside the distance. I used to be not alone in such a decide.

But Heaney, with one in every of the most heartbreaking back-stories in British boxing, made us all look foolish with a spirited show, roared on by his legion of followers at the Manchester Arena. These are unusual occasions for boxing, with few crossover stars and widespread an infection through unlicensed influencer fights, however on Saturday Heaney served up a reminder of what this sport is all about. There have been goosebumps watching him have fun the consequence, face down in the centre of the ring. Your outdated man could be so pleased with you, and so ought to British boxing.

Sunday, 19 November

YAFAI GOT NEWS FOR YOU

It was into the early hours of Sunday morning by the time that Kal Yafai, with ‘the last dance’ written on his groin guard, ringwalked for the closing time. The battle in opposition to Jonathan Rodriguez, at the Youtube Theater in Inglewood, California, lasted simply 137 seconds as the Birmingham man was dropped and stopped in beautiful style.

In his put up battle interview, Yafai confirmed that he could be retiring and that he would have completed even when he had received. In the finish, perhaps this efficiency in opposition to Rodriguez will make it simpler for him to stroll away, realizing that he had given every thing to this sport and there was merely nothing left to give.

The eldest of the combating Yafais, Khalid made an impression on the wider boxing public means again in 2008 when he got here out of nowhere to qualify for the Beijing Olympics. He turned professional, received titles and boxed at the very prime degree – even going through modern-day nice Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez in February 2020. This was solely his second battle since that evening and, he insists, the last of a stellar profession. Yafai, 27-2 (15), we salute you.

Monday, 20 November

FINAL CURTAIN

Monday kicked off the closing ever battle week for a Showtime pay-per-view, with David Benavidez set to face Demetrius Andrade in the major occasion in Las Vegas on Saturday. As confirmed earlier this yr, Showtime will convey the curtain down on almost 40 years broadcasting the sport at the finish of this yr and that is the last time they are going to ask viewers to fork out for an occasion.

This present, which additionally contains Benavidez’s older brother Jose taking over Jermall Charlo, takes place at the Mandalay Bay lodge, simply down the Strip from the scene of Showtime’s first boxing broadcast when Marvin Hagler stopped John Mugabi at Caesar’s Palace in March 1986. We are nonetheless ready for information on the place PBC will land however Showtime will undoubtedly be missed.

On this aspect of the Atlantic, as battle week for Chantelle Cameron’s rematch with Katie Taylor started in Dublin, it was confirmed by Matchroom on Monday that the 3Arena in Dublin is now a complete sell-out for the present.

Elsewhere in girls’s boxing on Monday, Alycia Baumgardner claimed that an impartial check on a hair pattern ‘rule out any possibility of intentional doping’ after she returned an antagonistic analytical discovering in a drug check after her battle in July. “Vindication,” she Tweeted. “Case closed.”

Tuesday, 21 November

BOMBS AWAY

If you thought the thought of Francis Ngannou making his skilled boxing debut in opposition to Tyson Fury in October this yr was barmy, wait till you hear the one about Deontay Wilder.

On Tuesday, the PFL boss Donn Davis stated that he expects Ngannou to battle below the banner of the organisation throughout 2024. “I still think it will be a mixed-rules fight,” he instructed the MMA Hour. “And I still think Deontay Wilder is the most likely opponent. We’re listening to Francis and he’s sequencing his options. He has a great boxing option and this great crossover option.”

Ngannou surprised everybody, particularly Fury, when he dropped the 6ft 9in heavyweight and solely narrowly misplaced on the playing cards in Riyadh. Everyone concerned already has designs on him boxing there once more, with a rematch with Fury doable, however plainly he would possibly battle in the Saudi-backed PFL first.

The information is available in the similar month that Ngannou recommended a battle with Wilder would do higher enterprise than one in opposition to Anthony Joshua. That may be so, however can all of us simply focus on protecting Wilder and Joshua in the similar sport in order that they will battle one another please?